To realize seismic-resilient reinforced concrete (RC) moment-resisting frame structures, a novel self-centering RC column with a rubber layer placed at the bottom (SRRC column) is proposed herein. For the column, the longitudinal reinforcement dissipates seismic energy, the rubber layer allows the rocking of the column, and the unbonded prestressed tendon enables self-centering capacity. A refined finite element model of the SRRC column is developed, the effectiveness of which is validated based on experimental results. Results show that the SRRC column exhibits stable energy dissipation capacity and no strength degradation; additionally, it can significantly reduce permanent residual deformation and mitigate damage to concrete. Extensive parametric studies pertaining to SRRC columns have been conducted to investigate the critical factors affecting their seismic performance.

The tunnel boring machine (TBM) is typically used in hard-rock tunnel excavation. Owing to the unsatisfactory adaptability of TBM to the surrounding rock, when crossing high-strength and high-wear strata, the TBM can easily cause defects, such as abnormal wear on cutters and overload damage to bearings, thus affecting the construction efficiency and cost. Therefore, high-pressure waterjet technology should be applied to assist in rock breaking for efficient TBM tunneling. In this study, the effects of water pressure, nozzle diameter, and nozzle speed on cutting are investigated via laboratory experiments of cutting hard rock using high-pressure waterjets. The penetration performance of the TBM under different water pressures is investigated via a field industrial penetration test. The results show that high-pressure waterjets are highly efficient for rock breaking and are suitable for industrial applications, as they can accommodate the advancing speed of the TBM and achieve high-efficiency rock breaking. However, during the operation of high-pressure waterjets, the ambient temperature and waterjet temperature in the tunnel increase significantly, which weakens the cooling effect of the cutterhead and decreases the construction efficiency of the TBM. Therefore, temperature control and cooling measures for high-pressure waterjets during their long-term operation must be identified. This study provides a useful reference for the design and construction of high-pressure water-jet-assisted cutterheads for breaking road headers.

Aerodynamic instability owing to aerostatic and flutter-related failures is a significant concern in the wind-resistant design of long-span suspension bridges. Based on the dynamic characteristics of suspension bridges with spans ranging from 888 to 1991 m, we proposed fitted equations for increasing spans and base frequencies. Finite element models of suspension bridges with increasing span from 1000 to 5000 m were constructed. The structural parameters were optimized to follow the fitted tendencies. To analyze the aerodynamic instability, streamlined single-box section (SBS), lattice truss section (LTS), narrow slotted section (NSS), and wide slotted section (WSS) were considered. We performed three-dimensional (3-D) full-mode flutter analysis and nonlinear aerostatic instability analysis. The flutter critical wind speed continuously decreases with span growth, showing an unlimited approaching phenomenon. Regarding aerostatic instability, the instability wind speed decreases with span to approximately 3000 m, and increases when the span is in the range of 3000 to 5000 m. Minimum aerostatic instability wind speed with SBS or LTS girder would be lower than observed maximal gust wind speed, indicating the probability of aerostatic instability. This study proposes that suspension bridge with span approximately 3000 m should be focused on both aerostatic instability and flutter, and more aerodynamic configuration optimistic optimizations for flutter are essential for super long-span suspension bridges with spans longer than 3000 m.

Based on significant improvements in engineering materials, three advanced engineering measures have been proposed—super anchor cables, high-strength concrete anti-fault caverns, and grouting modification using high-strength concrete-to resist fault dislocation in the surrounding rock near tunnels crossing active strike-slip faults. Moreover, single- or multiple-joint advanced engineering measures form the local rock mass-anti-fault (LRAF) method. A numerical method was used to investigate the influence of LRAF methods on the stress and displacement fields of the surrounding rock, and the anti-fault effect was evaluated. Finally, the mechanism of action of the anchor cable was verified using a three-dimensional numerical model. The numerical results indicated that the anchor cable and grouting modification reduced the displacement gradient of the local surrounding rock near the tunnels crossing fault. Furthermore, anchor cable and grouting modifications changed the stress field of the rock mass in the modified area. The tensile stress field of the rock mass in the modified anchor cable area was converted into a compressive stress field. The stress field in the modified grouting area changed from shear stress in the fault slip direction to tensile stress in the axial tunnel direction. The anti-fault cavern resisted the dislocation displacement and reduced the maximum dislocation magnitude, displacement gradient, and shear stress. Among the three advanced engineering measures, the anchor cable was the core of the three advanced engineering measures. An anchor cable, combined with other LRAF measures, can form an artificial safety island at the cross-fault position of the rock mass to protect the tunnel. The research results provide a new supporting idea for the surrounding rock of tunnels crossing active strike-slip faults.

Model tests and numerical calculations were adopted based on the New Yuanliangshan tunnel project to investigate the water pressure resistance of lining construction joints in high-pressure and water-rich karst tunnels. A large-scale model test was designed and conducted, innovatively transforming the external water pressure of the lining construction joint into internal water pressure. The effects of the embedded position and waterstop type on the water pressure resistance of the construction joint were analyzed, and the reliability of the model test was verified via numerical calculations. The results show that using waterstops can significantly improve the water pressure resistance of lining construction joints. The water pressure resistance of the lining construction joint is positively correlated with the lining thickness and embedded depth of the waterstop. In addition, the type of waterstop significantly influences the water pressure resistance of lining construction joints. The test results show that the water pressure resistance of the embedded transverse reinforced waterstop is similar to that of the steel plate waterstop, and both have more advantages than the rubber waterstop. The water pressure resistance of the construction joint determined via numerical calculations is similar to the model test results, indicating that the model test results have high accuracy and reliability. This study provides a reference for similar projects and has wide applications.

The grade crossings and adjacent pavements of urban trams are generally subjected to complex load conditions and are susceptible to damage. Therefore, in this study, a novel pavement structure between tram tracks and roads constructed using polyurethane (PU) elastic concrete and ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), referred to as a track-road transitional pavement (TRTP), is proposed. Subsequently, its performance and feasibility are evaluated using experimental and numerical methods. First, the mechanical properties of the PU elastic concrete are evaluated. The performance of the proposed structure is investigated using a three-dimensional finite element model, where vehicle-induced dynamic and static loads are considered. The results show that PU elastic concrete and the proposed combined TRTP are applicable and functioned as intended. Additionally, the PU elastic concrete achieved sufficient performance. The recommended width of the TRTP is approximately 50 mm. Meanwhile, the application of UHPC under a PU elastic concrete layer significantly reduces vertical deformation. Results of numerical calculations confirmed the high structural performance and feasibility of the proposed TRTP. Finally, material performance standards are recommended to provide guidance for pavement design and the construction of tram-grade crossings in the future.

In this study, the effect of fiber angle on the tensile load-bearing performance and damage failure characteristics of glass composite laminates was investigated experimentally, analytically, and numerically. The glass fabric in the laminate was perfectly aligned along the load direction (i.e., at 0°), offset at angles of 30° and 45°, or mixed in different directions (i.e., 0°/30° or 0°/45°). The composite laminates were fabricated using vacuum-assisted resin molding. The influence of fiber orientation angle on the mechanical properties and stiffness degradation of the laminates was studied via cyclic tensile strength tests. Furthermore, simulations have been conducted using finite element analysis and analytical approaches to evaluate the influence of fiber orientation on the mechanical performance of glass laminates. Experimental testing revealed that, although the composite laminates laid along the 0° direction exhibited the highest stiffness and strength, their structural performance deteriorated rapidly. We also determined that increasing the fiber offset angle (i.e., 30°) could optimize the mechanical properties and damage failure characteristics of glass laminates. The results of the numerical and analytical approaches demonstrated their ability to capture the mechanical behavior and damage failure modes of composite laminates with different fiber orientations, which may be used to prevent the catastrophic failures that occur in composite laminates.

Concrete is the most commonly used construction material. However, its production leads to high carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and energy consumption. Therefore, developing waste-substitutable concrete components is necessary. Improving the sustainability and greenness of concrete is the focus of this research. In this regard, 899 data points were collected from existing studies where cement, slag, fly ash, superplasticizer, coarse aggregate, and fine aggregate were considered potential influential factors. The complex relationship between influential factors and concrete compressive strength makes the prediction and estimation of compressive strength difficult. Instead of the traditional compressive strength test, this study combines five novel metaheuristic algorithms with extreme gradient boosting (XGB) to predict the compressive strength of green concrete based on fly ash and blast furnace slag. The intelligent prediction models were assessed using the root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R²), mean absolute error (MAE), and variance accounted for (VAF). The results indicated that the squirrel search algorithm-extreme gradient boosting (SSA-XGB) yielded the best overall prediction performance with R² values of 0.9930 and 0.9576, VAF values of 99.30 and 95.79, MAE values of 0.52 and 2.50, RMSE of 1.34 and 3.31 for the training and testing sets, respectively. The remaining five prediction methods yield promising results. Therefore, the developed hybrid XGB model can be introduced as an accurate and fast technique for the performance prediction of green concrete. Finally, the developed SSA-XGB considered the effects of all the input factors on the compressive strength. The ability of the model to predict the performance of concrete with unknown proportions can play a significant role in accelerating the development and application of sustainable concrete and furthering a sustainable economy.

Soil conditioning is essential for addressing the stratum applicability problem of earth pressure balance (EPB) shields. Under high water pressures, EPB shields spew water and soil when excavating coarse-grained strata. Typically, foam combined with polymers and slurry is used to solve spewing. However, in current techniques, slurry, foam, and the other agents are mixed with soil separately, their synergistic effect is seldom realized. In this study, an anionic surfactant was used to foam in bentonite slurry to form bubble–slurry to maximize the synergy between bubbles and slurry. The slump, volume stability, and permeability test of bubble–slurry-conditioned sand was conducted to examine the conditioning effect, and the stratum applicability of bubble–slurry was determined from the perspective of permeability. It was found that the conditioning effect of bubble–slurry in coarse gravel soil was excellent and could expand the applicability of EPB shields. The main stabilization mechanism of bubble–slurry is that bentonite particles provide a space barrier for bubbles. And three seepage modes of bubble–slurry-conditioned sand were innovatively defined, and the occurrence conditions of the three seepage modes were analyzed according to the permeability coefficient of sand, initial dynamic shear force of bubble–slurry, and hydraulic gradient.

Quasi-rectangular shield tunneling is a cutting-edge trenchless method for constructing metro tunnels with double tubes, owing to its advantages in saving underground space and reducing ground disturbance. However, the conventional quasi-rectangular shield tunneling method is not applicable when constructing a tunnel without a center pillar, such as a scissor crossover section of a metro line. Therefore, the 0-θ tunneling method, which combines the quasi-rectangular shield and pipe jacking methods, was investigated in this study to solve the aforementioned construction challenges. This study presents a case study of the Sijiqing Station of the Hangzhou Metro Line 9 in China, in which the 0-θ method was first proposed and applied. Key techniques such as switching between two types of tunneling modes and the tunneling process control in complex construction environments were investigated. The results demonstrated that the 0-θ method can address the technical challenges presented by the post-transition line with a high curvature and a scissors crossover line. In addition, the adoption of the 0-θ method ensured that the transformation between shield tunneling and pipe jacking was safe and efficient. The ground settlement monitoring results demonstrated that the disturbance to the surrounding environment can be limited to a safe level. This case study contributes to the construction technology for a metro tunnel containing both post-transition lines with a small turning radius and a scissors crossover line. A practical construction experience and theoretical guidance were provided in this study, which are of significance for both the industry and academia.

Three-dimensional concrete printing (3DCP) is increasingly being applied in harsh environments and isolated regions. However, the effective utilization of aeolian sand (AS) resources and by-products derived from arid zones for 3DCP is yet to be fully realized. This study developed a three-dimensional (3D) printing composite using AS and magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) from local materials. The effects of the mole ratio of MgO/MgCl₂ and sand/binder (S/B) ratio on the mechanical properties such as water resistance, drying shrinkage strain, rheology, and printability, were investigated systematically. The results indicated that the optimal mole ratio of MgO/MgCl₂ was 8, which yielded the desired mechanical performance and water resistance. Furthermore, the S/B ratio can be increased to three within the desired printability to increase the AS utilization rate. The rheological recovery and buildability of the 3D-printed MOC with AS were verified. These findings provide a promising strategy for construction in remote deserts.

Extrudability and constructability are two important, yet contradictory issues pertaining to the construction of three-dimensional (3D) printing concrete. Extrudability is easily achieved when 3D printing cement mortar has a high water content and low cohesion, but the printed structure is easily collapsible. However, a 3D printing cement mortar with a low water content and high cohesion has a relatively stable printed structure although the cement mortar might not be extrudable. This study proposes a particle-based method to simulate 3D printing mortar extrusion and construction as an overall planning tool for building design. First, a discrete element model with time-varying liquid bridge forces is developed to investigate the microscopic effects of these forces on global rheological properties. Next, a series of numerical simulations relevant to 3D printable mortar extrudability and constructability are carried out. The study demonstrates that the effects of time-varying liquid bridge forces on rheological properties and the resulting extrudability and constructability of 3D printing mortar are considerable. Furthermore, an optimized region that satisfies both the extrusion and construction requirements is provided for 3D printing industry as a reference.

Sustainable structures are critical for addressing global climate change. Hence, their structural resilience or ability to recover from natural events must be considered comprehensively. Green roofs are a widely used sustainable feature that improve the environment while providing excellent occupant amenity. To expand their usage, their inherent damping and layout sensitivity to seismic performance are investigated in this study. The soil of a green roof can serve as a damper to dissipate the energy generated by earthquakes or other dynamic events. Results of preliminary analysis show that a green roof soil can increase localized damping by 2.5% under both dry and saturated conditions. Based on these findings, nonlinear time-history analyses are conducted on a three-story building in SAP2000 to monitor the structural behavior with and without a green roof. The increased damping in the green roof soil is beneficial to the structural performance, i.e., it reduces the building displacement and acceleration by 10% and 12%, respectively. Additionally, certain configurations are more effective and beneficial to the structural response than others, which suggests the possibility of design optimization. Based on the findings of this study, new methods of modeling and considering green roofs in structural design are established.

Deep excavations in dense urban areas have caused damage to nearby existing structures in numerous past construction cases. Proper assessment is crucial in the initial design stages. This study develops equations to predict the existing pile bending moment and deflection produced by adjacent braced excavations. Influential parameters (i.e., the excavation geometry, diaphragm wall thickness, pile geometry, strength and small-strain stiffness of the soil, and soft clay thickness) were considered and employed in the developed equations. It is practically unfeasible to obtain measurement data; hence, artificial data for the bending moment and deflection of existing piles were produced from well-calibrated numerical analyses of hypothetical cases, using the three-dimensional finite element method. The developed equations were established through a multiple linear regression analysis of the artificial data, using the transformation technique. In addition, the three-dimensional nature of the excavation work was characterized by considering the excavation corner effect, using the plane strain ratio parameter. The estimation results of the developed equations can provide satisfactory pile bending moment and deflection data and are more accurate than those found in previous studies.

This paper proposes an innovative column composed of a core column (including both reinforced concrete (RC) and plain concrete (PC) columns) and a prefabricated textile-reinforced fine concrete (TRC) shell. To study the confinement properties of TRC shells on this novel type of concrete column, 20 circular specimens, including 12 PC columns and 8 RC columns, were prepared for axial compressive tests. Four key parameters, including the column size, reinforcing ratio of the carbon textile, concrete strength, and stirrup spacing, were evaluated. The results indicated that the compressive properties of the columns were improved by increasing the reinforcing ratio of the textile layers. In the case of TRC-confined PC columns, the maximum improvement in the peak load was 56.3%, and for TRC-confined RC columns, the maximum improvement was 60.2%. Based on the test results, an analytical model that can be used to calculate the stress–strain curves of prefabricated TRC shell-confined concrete columns has been proposed. The calculated curves predicted by the proposed model agreed well with the test results.

This study presents experimental and numerical investigations on the mechanical properties of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) reinforced with single and hybrid micro- and macro-steel and polypropylene fibers. For this purpose, a series of cubic, cylindrical, dog-bone, and prismatic beam specimens (total fiber by volume = 1%, and 2%) were tested under compressive, tensile, and flexural loadings. A method, namely multi-target digital image correlation (MT-DIC) was used to monitor the displacement and deflection values. The obtained experimental data were subsequently used to discuss influential parameters, i.e., flexural strength, tensile strength, size effect, etc. Numerical analyses were also carried out using finite element software to account for the sensitivity of different parameters. Furthermore, nonlinear regression analyses were conducted to obtain the flexural load-deflection curves. The results showed that the MT-DIC method was capable of estimating the tensile and flexural responses as well as the location of the crack with high accuracy. In addition, the regression analyses showed excellent consistency with the experimental results, with correlation coefficients close to unity. Furthermore, size-effect modeling revealed that modified Bazant theory yielded the best estimation of the size-effect phenomenon compared to other models.

Concrete is widely used in various large construction projects owing to its high durability, compressive strength, and plasticity. However, the tensile strength of concrete is low, and concrete cracks easily. Changes in the concrete structure will result in changes in parameters such as the frequency mode and curvature mode, which allows one to effectively locate and evaluate structural damages. In this study, the characteristics of the curvature modes in concrete structures are analyzed and a method to obtain the curvature modes based on the strain and displacement modes is proposed. Subsequently, various indices for the damage diagnosis of concrete structures based on the curvature mode are introduced. A damage assessment method for concrete structures is established using an artificial bee colony backpropagation neural network algorithm. The proposed damage assessment method for dam concrete structures comprises various modal parameters, such as curvature and frequency. The feasibility and accuracy of the model are evaluated based on a case study of a concrete gravity dam. The results show that the damage assessment model can accurately evaluate the damage degree of concrete structures with a maximum error of less than 2%, which is within the required accuracy range of damage identification and assessment for most concrete structures.

Freeze–thaw damage gradients lead to non-uniform degradation of concrete mechanical properties at different depths. A study was conducted on the stress–strain relationship of stressed concrete with focus on the freeze–thaw damage gradient. The effects of relative freeze–thaw depths, number of freeze–thaw cycles (FTCs) and stress ratios on the stress–strain curves of concrete were analyzed. The test results demonstrated that freeze–thaw damage was more severe in the surface layers of concrete than in the deeper layers. The relative peak stress and strain of concrete degraded bilinearly with increasing depth. The stress–strain relationship of stressed concrete under FTC was established, and it was found to agree with the experimental results.

This paper presents a case study of the clogging of a slurry-shield tunnel-boring machine (TBM) experienced during tunnel operations in clay-rich argillaceous siltstones under the Ganjiang River, China. The clogging experienced during tunneling was due to special geological conditions, which had a considerably negative impact on the slurry-shield TBM tunneling performance. In this case study, the effect of clogging on the slurry-shield TBM tunneling performance (e.g., advance speed, thrust, torque, and penetration per revolution) was fully investigated. The potential for clogging during tunnel operations in argillaceous siltstone was estimated using an existing empirical classification chart. Many improvement measures have been proposed to mitigate the clogging potential of two slurry-shield TBMs during tunneling, such as the use of an optimum cutting wheel, a replacement cutting tool, improvements to the circulation flushing system and slurry properties, mixed support integrating slurry, and compressed air to support the excavation face. The mechanisms and potential causes of clogging are explained in detail, and the contributions of these mitigation measures to tunneling performance are discussed. By investigating the actual operational parameters of the slurry-shield TBMs, these mitigation measures were proven to be effective in mitigating the clogging potential of slurry-shield TBMs. This case study provides valuable information for slurry-shield TBMs involving tunneling in clay-rich sedimentary rocks.

Submerged floating tunnels (SFTs) are novel structures for transportation across long- and deep-strait regions. Owing to severe wave and current excitation as well as the effects of underwater structures and corrosion, the risk of local anchor cable failure is high, which can result in the progressive failure of the entire structure. In this study, experimental and numerical investigations are conducted to analyze the dynamic behavior of an SFT with different mooring styles under local cable failure. A custom-designed cable failure device and the birth-and-death element method are used to simulate cable failure (i.e., progressive failure) via experiments and numerical simulation, respectively. A physical-scale segmental model of an SFT with different mooring styles under anchor cable failure is developed in this study. A segmental and entire-length mathematical model is developed using the ANSYS program to perform the numerical simulation. The results of the segmental numerical and experimental models indicate good agreement. The dynamic response of an SFT with different mooring styles under cable failure is comprehensively investigated by investigating the effects of key parameters (wave period, buoyant weight ratio, and cable failure mechanism). Moreover, the progressive failure of the SFT under cable failure is investigated via a segment model test and a numerical simulation of its entire length. The present study can serve as a reference for the safer designs of the SFT mooring style.

Cement-based materials are brittle and crack easily under natural conditions. Cracks can reduce service life because the transport of harmful substances can cause corrosion damage to the structures. This review discusses the feasibility of using microbial self-healing agents for crack healing. Tubular and spherical carriers can be used to load microbial self-healing agents and protect microbes, which prolongs the self-healing time. The area self-healing ratio, permeability, mechanical strength, precipitation depth method, numerical modeling, and ultrasonic method can be employed to identify the self-healing effect of cracks. Moreover, the self-healing mechanism is systematically analyzed. The results showed that microbial self-healing agents can repair cracks in cement-based materials in underground projects and dam gates. The difficulties and future development of self-healing cracks were analyzed. A microbial self-healing agent was embedded in the cement-based material, which automatically repaired the developing cracks. With the development of intelligent building materials, self-healing cracks have become the focus of attention.

In this study, the concrete cone capacity, concrete cone angle, and load–displacement response of cast-in headed anchors in geopolymer concrete are explored using numerical analyses. The concrete damaged plasticity (CDP) model in ABAQUS is used to simulate the behavior of concrete substrates. The tensile behavior of anchors in geopolymer concrete is compared with that in normal concrete as well as that predicted by the linear fracture mechanics (LFM) and concrete capacity design (CCD) models. The results show that the capacity of the anchors in geopolymer concrete is 30%–40% lower than that in normal concrete. The results also indicate that the CCD model overestimates the capacity of the anchors in geopolymer concrete, whereas the LFM model provides a much more conservative prediction. The extent of the difference between the predictions by the numerical analysis and those of the above prediction models depends on the effective embedment depth of the anchor and the anchor head size. The influence of concrete surface cracking on the capacity of the anchor is shown to depend on the location of the crack and the effective embedment depth. The influence of the anchor head profile on the tensile capacity of the anchors is found to be insignificant.

Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) have received considerable research attention because of their high strength, corrosion resistance, and low weight. However, owing to the lack of ductility in this material and the quasi-brittle behavior of concrete, FRP-reinforced concrete (FRP-RC) beams, even with flexural failure, do not fail in a ductile manner. Because the limited deformation capacity of FRP-RC beams depends on the ductility of their compression zones, the present study proposes using a precast confined concrete block (PCCB) in the compression zone to improve the ductility of the beams. A control beam and four beams with different PCCBs were cast and tested under four-point bending conditions. The control beam failed due to shear, and the PCCBs exhibited different confinements and perforations. The goal was to find an appropriate PCCB for use in the compression zone of the beams, which not only improved the ductility but also changed the failure mode of the beams from shear to flexural. Among the employed blocks, a ductile PCCB with low equivalent compressive strength increased the ductility ratio of the beam to twice that of the control beam. The beam failed in pure flexure with considerable deformation capacity and without significant stiffness reduction.

Post-tensioning self-centering walls are a well-developed and resilient technology. However, despite extensive research, the application of this technology has previously been limited to low-rise buildings. A ten-story self-centering wall building has now been designed and constructed using the state-of-art design methodologies and construction detailing, as described in this paper. The building is designed in accordance with direct displacement-based design methodology, with modification of seismic demand due to relevant issues including higher-mode effects, second order effects, torsional effects, and flexural deformation of wall panels. Wall sections are designed with external energy-dissipating devices of steel dampers, and seismic performance of such designed self-centering walls is evaluated through numerical simulation. It is the first engineering project that uses self-centering walls in a high-rise building. The seismic design procedure of such a high-rise building, using self-centering wall structures, is comprehensively reviewed in this work, and additional proposals are put forward. Description of construction detailing, including slotted beams, flexible wall-to-floor connections, embedded beams, and damper installation, is provided. The demonstration project promotes the concept of seismic resilient structures and contributes to the most appealing city planning strategy of resilient cities at present. The paper could be a reference for industry engineers to promote the self-centering wall systems worldwide.

With the development of self-healing technology, the overall properties of the microcapsule-enabled self-healing concrete have taken a giant leap. In this research, a detailed assessment of current research on the microcapsule-enabled self-healing concrete is conducted, together with bibliometric analysis. In the bibliometric analysis, various indicators are considered. The current state of progress regarding self-healing concrete is assessed, and an analysis of the temporal distribution of documents, organizations and countries of literature is conducted. Later, a discussion of the citations is analyzed. The research summarizes the improvements of microcapsule-enabled self-healing cementitious composites and provides a concise background overview.

Three-dimensional concrete printing (3DCP) can proliferate the industrialization of the construction sector, which is notoriously conservative and indolent toward changes. However, the mechanical behavior of 3DCP should be characterized and modeled considering the interfaces when its performance is thoroughly compared to that of the existing concrete construction methods. This study presents an experimental and numerical investigation of uniaxial compression and three-point bending (TPB) tests on extruded 3DCP beams in different loading directions. The orientation of translational and depositional interfaces with respect to the direction of loading influenced the strength. Both the elastic and post-damage behavior of the 3DCP specimens were compared with those of the conventionally cast specimen under quasi-static loading conditions. Despite the higher compressive strength of the casted specimen, the flexural strength of the 3DCP specimens was higher. This study employed the finite element and cohesive zone models of the appropriate calibrated traction-separation law to model fracture in the notched TPB specimens. Furthermore, the real-time acoustic emission test revealed the nature of failure phenomenon of three-dimensional-printed specimens under flexion, and accordingly, the cohesive law was chosen. The predicted load−displacement responses are in good agreement with the experimental results. Finally, the effects of cohesive thickness and notch shape on the performance under bending were explored through parametric studies.

In this study, mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and X-ray micro-computed tomography (XRμCT) were used to characterize the pore structures and investigate the permeability characteristics of clay after aging and contamination with diesel. The results of the MIP tests showed that aging leads to reductions in porosity and average diameter, as well as an increase in tortuosity. The XRμCT analysis yielded consistent results; it showed that aging renders pores more spherical and isotropic and pore surfaces smoother. This weakens the pore connectivity. Micromorphological analysis revealed that aging led to the rearrangement of soil particles, tighter interparticle overlapping, and a reduction in pore space. The combination of MIP and XRμCT provided a comprehensive and reliable characterization of the soil pore structure. An increased diesel content increased the porosity and average diameter and reduced the tortuosity of the pores. Mechanistic analysis showed that aging weakens interparticle cohesion; this causes large agglomerates to break down into smaller agglomerates, resulting in a tighter arrangement and a subsequent reduction in porosity. An increase in diesel content increases the number of large agglomerates and pore spaces between agglomerates, resulting in increased porosity. Both aging and diesel content can weaken the permeation characteristics of soil.

This study empirically investigated the influence of freeze–thaw cycling on the dynamic splitting tensile properties of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC). Brazilian disc splitting tests were conducted using four loading rates (0.002, 0.02, 0.2, and 2 mm/s) on specimens with four steel fiber contents (0%, 0.6%, 1.2%, and 1.8%) subjected to 0 and 50 freeze–thaw cycles. The dynamic splitting tensile damage characteristics were evaluated using acoustic emission (AE) parameter analysis and Fourier transform spectral analysis. The results quantified using the freeze–thaw damage factor defined in this paper indicate that the degree of damage to SFRC caused by freeze–thaw cycling was aggravated with increasing loading rate but mitigated by increasing fiber content. The percentage of low-frequency AE signals produced by the SFRC specimens during loading decreased with increasing loading rate, whereas that of high-frequency AE signals increased. Freeze–thaw action had little effect on the crack types observed during the early and middle stages of the loading process; however, the primary crack type observed during the later stage of loading changed from shear to tensile after the SFRC specimens were subjected to freeze–thaw cycling. Notably, the results of this study indicate that the freeze–thaw damage to SFRC reduces AE signal activity at low frequencies.

A novel anchorage for long-span suspension bridges, called pile-caisson composite structures, was recently proposed by the authors in an attempt to reduce the construction period and costs. This study aims to investigate the displacement and force behavior of piles in a pile-caisson composite structure under eccentric inclined loading considering different stratum features. To this end, both 1g model tests and three-dimensional numerical simulations were performed. Two groups of 1g model tests were used to validate the finite-element (FE) method. Parametric studies were then performed to investigate the effects of groundwater level, burial depth of the pile-caisson composite structure, and distribution of soil layers on the performance of the pile-caisson composite structure. The numerical analyses indicated that the influence of the groundwater level on the stability of the caisson was much greater than that of the piles. In addition, increasing the burial depth of the pile-caisson composite structure can assist in reducing the displacements and improving the stability of the pile-caisson composite structure. In addition, the distribution of soil layers can significantly affect the stability of the pile-caisson composite structure, especially the soil layer around the caisson.

The primary aim of this study is to correlate the impact of aggregates, if any, on the viscoelastic behavior of rejuvenated asphalt mixtures containing very high amounts of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) (> 50%). First, gradation of 100% RAP was rectified, using a modified Bailey method by adding virgin aggregates to achieve two coarse dense-graded and one fine dense-graded blends. Complex modulus test was then performed from −35 to +35 °C and 0.01–10 Hz. In addition to performance grade (PG) testing, extracted and recovered binders from different asphalt mixtures underwent shear complex modulus test within −8 °C to high temperature PG and frequencies from 0.001 to 30 Hz. Cole−Cole, Black space, complex modulus and phase angle master curves were constructed and Shift-Homothety-Shift in time-Shift (SHStS) transformation was used to compare the linear viscoelastic behavior of asphalt binders and mixtures. The influence of aggregates on the viscoelastic behavior of asphalt mixtures depends on temperature and/or frequency. The role of asphalt binders in the behavior of asphalt mixtures is more pronounced at high temperatures and the effect of the aggregate structure increases as the temperature falls. The maximum difference (60% to 70%) in the viscoelastic behavior of the binder and mixture based on SHStS transformed Cole−Cole curves is within the phase angle of 15°–20°.